


The Thing…At The Place

by Tkeyla



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Community: h50_holidayswap, First Time, Gift Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-04 02:18:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1075373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tkeyla/pseuds/Tkeyla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for dalwriter as part of the H50 HolidaySwap. Her request that I chose: </p><p>PWP (the hotter the better)<br/><i>Scenarios you might enjoy:</i> anything that requires Steve to wear Dress Whites or Mess Dress; if Danny takes them off all the better</p><p>Steve and Danny finally admit how they feel about one another and get together just in time for their Christmas wishes to come true. (A truly PWP albeit a Christmas themed one.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Thing…At The Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DalWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DalWriter/gifts).



Danny looked up to see Steve leaning against the doorframe of his office, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looked uncertain. Danny mentally characterized his expression halfway between _I wish I understood societal norms better_ and _this mission_ will _conclude successfully._ It was an unusual mix and Danny wondered where he fit into it. Because Steve would not be in his doorway, trying desperately for casual lounging, if he wasn’t about to ensnare Danny into some of his crazy.  
  
“Is there something I can do for you?” Danny finally asked, deciding to speed things up so Steve’s misery would come to a swifter conclusion.  
  
“There’s a thing…at the place,” Steve mumbled. He rubbed the back of his neck as he studied the suddenly fascinating carpet in Danny’s office.  
  
“A thing…at the place,” Danny repeated. “There are verbs and nouns there. Might you add some, I don’t know, adjectives? Objects? Even predicates?”  
  
“At the base,” Steve corrected, straightening. Nothing like a good bickering to get his blood flowing. “Not at the place.”  
  
“Okay. We’ve established something is happening and we now know where. Care to elaborate on the _what_ and _when_ it is taking place?”  
  
Steve took a deep breath and entered Danny’s office the rest of the way. He even managed to make eye contact. “The Admiral’s Tea at Pearl. On Christmas Eve. We…you have Grace Christmas Day so I thought you would come with me to the Admiral’s Tea.”  
  
Danny considered those words and the fact that Steve’s face was now showing spots of red. He vowed to use all of the considerable resources available to him as a detective and a member of Five-0 to find the person who gave Steve the _Smooth Dog_ nickname and force him to admit it was entirely ironic, even if Steve didn’t realize it.  
  
“What?” Steve asked, looking at Danny watching him. “If you don’t want to go…”  
  
“No, no,” Danny said with a smile. “Of course I’ll go. Tell me more about this tea of yours.”  
  
“It’s not _my_ tea. It’s the Admiral’s Tea. It’s a tradition. On Christmas Eve, the Admiral has a reception for all the officers. There’s too much wine and champagne and tiny bites food. After the Tea, it’s the base Christmas party. Everyone comes and celebrates Christmas with the kids.”  
  
“A tea and a Christmas madhouse,” Danny said with a laugh. “Sounds like just our speed.”  
  
“The party is great,” Steve said, warming up to the subject. “We have a Santa and play games. There’s homemade gingerbread men and hot chocolate and games.”  
  
“You said games already,” Danny pointed out. “Are you allowed to win them?”  
  
Steve shrugged and looked adorably bashful. Danny knew that meant winning wasn’t strictly allowed for the adults but as this was Steve, that rule would be ignored, trampled, drowned with the fishes.  
  
“And the Tea?” Danny asked.  
  
“What about it?”  
  
“Sounds…serious,” Danny prompted.  
  
“Hmm…” That was a completely unhelpful, non-committal sound if ever there was one.  
  
“A few more details than that,” Danny requested.  
  
“Like what? You’ve been to receptions before. It’s not so different from the ones the Governor forces us to attend.”  
  
“Like right after you’ve blown up a bank in downtown Honolulu?”  
  
“I told you I didn’t know they had explosives,” Steve protested.  
  
“I know. Good thing the bank was empty,” Danny said with amused affection. “Do unmarried Lieutenant Commanders generally attend these Teas with their same gendered work partners?”  
  
“Uhh… no,” Steve said, _social norms are so hard_ face back in full force. “But, you know, _don’t ask_ is repelled. So….”  
  
“You may not have noticed, babe, but we don’t have anything to not tell,” Danny told him, refusing to put him out of his misery. He knew what this was really about. Steve was attempting to ask him out on their first _official_ date. God, the man was so adorkable, Danny almost felt sorry enough for Steve to ask him first. But Danny was shallow enough to admit to himself that he was enjoying watching Mr. Perfection stumble around in his attempt to be smooth.  
  
“Danno,” Steve said, resorting to his wheedling voice and his wheedling name choice.  
  
“Nope. I’m not taking over. If you want to ask me out, ask me out,” Danny said, forcing himself to remain in his chair instead of jumping up and kissing Steve senseless. Although he was pretty sure that ship had left the harbor. Too many close encounters with explosives had taken most Steve’s sense already.  
  
“So you _know_ I want to ask you out and you’re just going to sit there and smirk at me,” Steve said in mock anger.  
  
“Babe,” Danny said soothingly. “I would be honored to attend the Admiral’s Tea with you. And I would very much enjoy going to the base party afterwards.”  
  
The relief on Steve’s face was almost worth letting him off the hook. Relief was quickly replaced by joy and excitement. Danny considered those fair compensation for giving Steve the words he really wanted to hear.  
  
“Okay. That’s good…really good,” Steve said, bouncing on his toes. “You’ll need to wear a suit. And you’ll get to wear a tie. It starts at 2 so I’ll pick you up at 1:30. The kids will all get a gift from the base but we should take a couple of toys to donate to Operation Santa’s Outrigger. Most places it’s Santa’s sleigh but not here since Santa paddles here. I’ll pick up the toys and we can take them with us. They are distributed to kids who might not otherwise have a Christmas. I mean, it’d still be Christmas but they wouldn’t….”  
  
“Steve,” Danny said gently, stopping the rush of words. “You’re rambling. I’ll wear a suit. Are you wearing your uniform?”  
  
“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “Mess blues.”  
  
“Yay for me,” Danny teased. He stood from his chair and crossed over to where Steve was standing, still beaming with joy. “Now that we are going to have our first official date, we should celebrate with our first official kiss.”  
  
“Official date?” Steve said, looking down at Danny, his eyes soft in affection. “We don’t date.”  
  
Danny huffed a laugh at that. “We date all the time. We just don’t call it that. Beers on your lanai. We eat all of our meals together. Arguing over football or baseball or curling every weekend. You said it yourself, or at least started to. _We_ have Grace on Christmas day. All of Oahu is right – we are married.”  
  
“Yeah,” Steve sighed, leaning down enough to feel the brush of Danny’s breath against his cheek. “Married.”  
  
Danny laughed at that, standing up on his toes to reach Steve’s mouth, kissing him gently and firmly. It was good, really, _really_ good. One of the top ten, no top _five_ , kisses of Danny’s entire life. He was very much looking forward to replacing all of the top ten with kisses from Steve.  
  
“Nice,” Steve whispered.  
  
“Very nice,” Danny confirmed. “I’m hungry.”  
  
Steve straightened and laughed. “Way to break the mood, Danno.”  
  
Danny shrugged, putting his hands on Steve’s firm, narrow waist. “Take me out to dinner to celebrate our official status.”  
  
“Roger that,” Steve agreed, a happy twinkle in his ever-changing eyes.  
  
~o0o~  
  
A week later, Danny drove the Camaro to Steve’s house to pick him up. Steve had said he’d come by for him but Danny had other plans. Because there was no doubt in Danny’s mind that he’d be spending the night at Steve’s, getting for Christmas the one gift he’d wanted practically since the day he’d nearly arrested Steve for contaminating his crime scene. They hadn’t _done it_ yet, as Kono so maturely put it whenever she got the chance to grill either or both of them. Which seemed to be whenever they were all breathing – eating, studying crime photos, chasing suspects – they were all opportunities for Kono to ask them entirely inappropriate questions about their sex life, which they kept insisting was nonexistent.  
  
Danny had pleaded with Chin to call her off or rein her in but Chin had raised an eyebrow and replied “ _Brah_ ” like that explained everything. There were times when Danny thought he hated the word _brah_ as much as he did _haole_ but for entirely different reasons.  
  
Danny let himself into Steve’s house as had always been his custom. Steve wasn’t downstairs so Danny took the chance to check his suit and tie in the mirror beside the door. He thought he looked good, ready to attend an Admiral’s Tea as the significant other of a Naval officer.  
  
About the time he was smoothing out a non-existent wrinkle in his crisp dress shirt, all thoughts fled his brain. All that remained was white, hot noise, placed there by the spectacular vision that was Steve in his mess dress blues. The tailored jacket, the medal porn, the creases in the trousers that could slice bread, and the bowtie. _The bowtie._ Under that chiseled jaw line and those sculpted cheekbones. Dear God.  
  
“Danno,” Steve said sharply. He was waving his hand in front of Danny’s face, his expression concerned. “Are you stroking out on me?”  
  
“What?” Danny breathed.  
  
“You with me?”  
  
“Huh?” Danny shook himself, finally focusing on Steve’s mouth which he realized was still moving. Maybe Steve was talking to him? “What?”  
  
“What is wrong with you?” Steve asked, half concerned, half amused.  
  
“You. You are what’s wrong with me,” Danny said, still openly staring at the vision before him. “Would you be in trouble if you didn’t show up?”  
  
“Why would we not go? Are you not feeling well?” Steve asked, studying him and looking one instant away from calling an ambulance.  
  
“I’m great. Not as great as you,” Danny said. “This is…all of your uniforms …but this one… good God, man.”  
  
“Nouns and verbs,” Steve told him with a laugh.  
  
“This uniform is unbelievable,” Danny finally was able to say. “I want to strip it off of you and lick you all over.”  
  
Steve laughed again, a twinkle in his eye as he leaned closer to kiss Danny. “After. There will be stripping and licking afterwards.”  
  
“After, yeah,” Danny repeated. He shook himself, taking a step backward. “Yeah. Okay.” He managed to reach into his pocket for his keys, handing them wordlessly to Steve. “You have the presents for the kids?” he asked, still staring wide-eyed at the vision that was Steve.  
  
“They are right here,” Steve said, picking up a large shopping bag with two wrapped toys in it. Danny could see they had labels, no doubt detailing the age and gender for the potential recipients.  
  
“Nice,” Danny said, peering into the bag. “You wrap them yourself?”  
  
“Of course,” Steve said, putting one hand on Danny’s lower back to gently encourage him to leave the house. Once it was locked, they entered the Camaro, Steve driving much too fast to Pearl. “So you’re staying the night?”  
  
“Yes I am,” Danny said, looking over at Steve. “We get Grace at 11:00. I told her that her gifts would be at your house.”  
  
“When are you bringing them over?” Steve asked with a glance over at Danny.  
  
“They’re already under your tree,” Danny laughed. “I brought them over earlier this week.”  
  
“Oh,” Steve said. “I didn’t notice.”  
  
“Clearly. I spotted quite a few presents already under there with _Grace_ on the tags.”  
  
Steve shrugged innocently.  
  
“You don’t have to spoil her completely,” Danny laughed.  
  
“Yeah I do,” Steve told him with a smile.  
  
“All right,” Danny said, seeing no point in arguing and knowing it would do no good.  
  
At the rate Steve drove, it didn’t take nearly as long as it should have for them to arrive at Pearl. Steve was waved straight through, going toward the huge white tent set up in a grassy area in the middle of the base. It was festively decorated with lights and wreaths and oversized Christmas balls.  
  
“Nice,” Danny said as they walked toward the tent.  
  
“I like it when they hold it outside,” Steve agreed. “Glad there’s no rain forecast.”  
  
“Me too,” Danny said, entering the sideless tent next to Steve who made a line straight for the Admiral who was officially the host.  
  
“Commander,” Admiral Hallworth said, returning Steve’s crisp salute.  
  
“Thank you for inviting us, sir,” Steve said with a smile at the Admiral who was dressed much as Steve was.  
  
“Thank you for coming. I believe you’ve met my wife, Billie Whitesides.”  
  
“Of course,” Steve agreed with a smile and a handshake. “It’s nice to see you again,” he said to the woman standing next to the Admiral. Her short grey hair was stylishly arranged without being obvious, her black dress perfect for the occasion.  
  
“Lovely to see you as well, Commander,” she said with a twinkle in her dark eyes. Won’t you introduce me to you friend?”  
  
Danny had been glancing around the tent, admiring all of the men and women in their dress mess. He thought it might be his very favorite uniform. But then any uniform Steve wore was his favorite.  
  
“This is Detective Danny Williams.”  
  
Danny managed to tune back into the conversation just in time to catch Steve introducing him. “Nice to meet you, sir, ma’am,” Danny said, appreciating the Admiral’s firm handshake and his wife’s smile.  
  
“You as well, Detective. We’ve heard quite a lot about you,” the older man said. He had a gleam of mischief in his eye that Danny very much enjoyed seeing. That Steve had brought him to the Tea seemed not to phase the Admiral in the least which was another mark in his favor as far as Danny was concerned.  
  
“If it was from Steve, most of it isn’t true,” Danny told him with a laugh.  
  
“Mostly from Governor Denning,” Ms Whitesides assured him warmly.  
  
“Sam is here somewhere,” the Admiral added. He tried to look over the heads of the guests but as he wasn’t much taller than Danny, he wasn’t able to spot him.  
  
“I’m sure he’ll find us,” Danny said. “He always seems to.”  
  
“Or trouble finds you,” the Admiral suggested with a laugh.  
  
“Guilty as charged,” Steve agreed. He glanced over Danny’s shoulder to find several other guests waiting to greet the Admiral and his wife. “We’re going to mingle.”  
   
“We’ll chat when there’s time,” the Admiral agreed with a nod. “Commander. Detective.”  
  
“What are you chatting about?” Danny asked as they walked toward one of the open bars scattered around the huge tent.  
  
“That’s classified,” Steve said, joining the end of a line to wait.  
  
“I swear to God, Steven, if you accept a mission and leave us with nothing but a note, I will track you down in whatever desert jungle you parachute into and shoot you with your own gun,” Danny said, staring up at Steve with his serious intent and his breaking heart reflected on his face.  
  
“Calm down, Danno,” Steve soothed, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder. It was a casual gesture but also an intimate one. Anyone seeing the two of them would be left with no doubt about their status as more-than work partners. “I’m not going on any missions. He wants to talk about how Five-0 can help the Navy MPs.”  
  
“Oh,” Danny said, aware he was making a goldfish face but he couldn’t seem to stop it. “It’s not really classified.”  
  
“No,” Steve admitted. “I only said that to wind you up. I didn’t think you were going to stroke out on me for the second time today.”  
  
“I did not stroke out. Not now and not earlier,” Danny said.  
  
“Okay. I’m sorry I rocked your world. Let me buy you a drink to make up for it,” Steve said when they were at the bar.  
  
“It’s an open bar.”  
  
“You are a cheap date,” Steve agreed, turning toward the bartender. “We’d like two glasses of champagne, please.”  
  
“Certainly Commander,” the younger man said, pouring the bubbly drink into two elegant crystal flutes and handing them over. “Enjoy the Tea.”  
  
“We will. Thank you,” Steve said with a smile that Danny was sure left the bartender weak in the knees. It had that effect on him – every time.  
  
“This flute is worth more than I make all year,” Danny said, admiring the way the sunlight splintered around it.  
  
“I know how much you make a year and I can assure you that you could buy several hundred of these flutes,” Steve told him as they went over to one of the buffet tables with various hors d'oeuvres and crudités.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said. “I’m going to steal it anyway.”  
  
“Property of the Navy,” Steve reminded him. “And you are an officer of the law.”  
  
“Right, right. Not exactly the way to make the right kind of impression at my first Admiral’s Tea. Which, by the way, is there actual tea served?” Danny asked.  
  
“I’m sure you can get some if you promise not to steal the china,” Steve said, surveying the buffet spread before them. “This is a ton of food, isn’t it?”  
  
“I’ll say,” Danny agreed, spotting the Governor coming their way. “Sam Denning at 12 o’clock.”  
  
Steve turned to greet him, shaking his hand as they exchanged hellos.  
  
“Are you staying for the children’s party?” Steve asked him after they’d dispensed with the obligatory small talk about the weather and the beauty of the setting.  
  
“I am,” the Governor said. “Admiral and Mrs. Hallworth have invited me every year. This is the first time my schedule has allowed me to attend.”  
  
“I try to come if we aren’t working a case,” Steve agreed.  
  
“This is your first time,” the Governor said to Danny, a question implied.  
  
“Steve invited me as his guest,” Danny agreed.  
  
“I had heard rumors that your relationship was no longer strictly a professional partnership,” Denning said, his voice a little more quiet as he almost asked them if it were true.  
  
“I hope this won’t pose a problem, sir,” Steve said.  
  
Danny could see that Steve’s back had stiffened and his expression had hardened. He wasn’t sure what Steve was planning if Denning openly expressed disapproval, especially as they were all standing in the current venue.  
  
“A problem?” Denning said, genuinely puzzled. “I’m surprised that it’s only now becoming official. I was among those who believed you were already married.”  
  
Danny had to laugh at the confession, watching the tension ebb from Steve’s stance. “You are not alone, sir,” Danny confirmed.  
   
“As I am aware. Even if there were a no fraternization rule, it would hardly apply to you,” Denning said.  
  
“That is reassuring,” Steve said, smiling at Danny in confirmation as much as relief.  
  
“We’re having Christmas dinner at Steve’s tomorrow,” Danny said. “Our _ohana_ is coming. Would you be able to join us?”  
  
“I would never impose,” Denning said.  
  
“Hardly an imposition, sir,” Steve assured him. “We plan to eat at 3:00. We’d love to have you.”  
  
“That’s very kind of you, Steve. If you are certain it won’t be an imposition, I would like to come.”  
  
“Very good,” Steve said.  
  
“What may I contribute?” Denning asked.  
  
“We are all set, sir,” Danny said. “There will be plenty of food and drink.”  
  
“I can hardly arrive empty handed,” Denning protested.  
  
“Grace will be with us,” Danny said with a pleased smile. “She loves guava cake if there is somewhere you could pick one up.”  
  
“I’ll do you one better,” the Governor said. “I’ll have my chef make it for her.”  
  
“If it’s no trouble,” Danny said.  
  
“Of course not. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll give him a call and let him know,” Denning said, taking his leave with a smile.  
  
“I didn’t know Grace likes guava cake,” Steve said as he picked up two plates, giving one of to Danny.  
  
“She doesn’t either,” Danny confided. “But it was the first thing I could think of. He wasn’t going to come without contributing and I thought a cake was better than a whole roast pig.”  
  
Steve laughed at that, serving Danny some raw vegetables and too much dressing on the side. “What if she doesn’t like it?”  
  
“She will. She loves everything guava,” Danny said. “I’ll tell her I fibbed a little. She’ll cover for me.”  
  
“Should you be encouraging her to lie like that?” Steve asked with a smile at Danny’s expression.  
  
“Probably not. But she knows I sometimes speak without thinking.”  
  
“You?” Steve said in an overly dramatic fashion, one Danny did not appreciate at all.  
  
“Keep it up, sailor. See if you get laid tonight,” Danny warned, trying desperately to keep a straight face.  
  
“Oh, I’ll get laid even if it’s not by you,” Steve teased.  
  
“In that uniform, I don’t doubt it,” Danny agreed. That he was openly leering at Steve only reinforced his appreciation of the figure Steve cut.  
  
“You need to stop looking at me like that,” Steve said breathlessly.  
  
“Mmm…” Danny said in a completely non-committal way.  
  
“Let’s mingle. I can introduce you to some of the people who may occupy my bed if you don’t,” Steve said, making Danny scowl up at him.  
  
“Arrogant is not a good look, Smooth Dog,” Danny informed him to his laughter.  
  
“It ain’t bragging if you done it,” Steve responded.  
  
“That hardly makes sense,” Danny said, following Steve as he made nice with all the people he knew, introducing them to Danny. Danny could only hope there wasn’t a quiz later because there was no way he could keep all those names and ranks straight.  
  
~0~  
  
“It’s almost four,” Steve told Danny after they’d talked to everyone Steve knew and made a few new friends.  
  
Danny was glad that none of the Naval officers had looked at them with anything other than mild curiosity. He didn’t think they would encounter open homophobia but he couldn’t be really sure. His mind was eased by the easy acceptance of everyone that they had talked to while at the Tea.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said, wondering if there was a particular reason he needed to know the time.  
  
“The kids’ party is about to start. Will you get the presents out of the car? I need to go straight to the gymatorium.”  
  
“Gymatorium,” Danny repeated, wondering if that was SEAL code word.  
  
“It’s a gym and an auditorium,” Steve said, seeing the confusion on Danny’s face. “Please go get the presents.” Steve pulled the keys out of his pocket, thrusting them at Danny.  
  
“Right. Presents. For Santa’s out-rigger.”  
  
“Exactly. I’ll see you at the party,” Steve said, pausing long enough to kiss Danny lightly on the mouth before hurrying toward the nearest building, an extra spring in his step.  
  
It didn’t take long for Danny to retrieve the presents and follow the other guests who were making their way to the gymatorium. When he got inside, he paused for a moment to adjust to the cacophony of noise that greeted him. They were sounds of happiness and festivity although nearly overwhelmingly loud. The cavernous room had been decorated with several huge trees, lights strung anywhere that could hold them, and completed with Christmas music playing over the loud speakers.  
  
What Danny did not see was Steve. With so many Naval personnel in one place, Steve wouldn’t have stood out as much as was usual. But Danny’s Steve-radar rarely ever faltered. As far as Danny could tell, Steve wasn’t in the building. He considered panicking but then decided it was too early for that.  
  
“Would you like me to take those gifts?” a lieutenant with light brown hair and a ready smile asked Danny. At least he thought she was a lieutenant. Her uniform looked much like Catherine’s did. Maybe.  
  
“Sure,” he agreed, handing them to her. “Have you seen Commander McGarrett by any chance?”  
  
“Ahh,” she said. “You are Danny.”  
  
“I am,” he agreed.  
  
“He said if you asked to let you know that you can stand down. He’s fine.”  
  
“Where is he?” Danny asked, trying to beat back the rising sense of panic at Steve’s absence. But this lieutenant seemed certain everything was fine. And Steve had sent him a message so being worried was clearly an overreaction. Too much champagne, Danny decided.  
  
“He’ll be here shortly, sir,” she assured him. “Can I get you some tea? Or some coffee?”  
  
“No, but if you’ll show me where it is, I will get some myself.”  
  
She laughed at that, looping her free hand through his elbow. “We’ll go find it together.”  
  
“Even better,” he agreed, weaving through the crowd with her until they reached a gigantic wooden sleigh situated next to one of the trees. It was already piled high with gifts and she carefully added the two from Steve to the mountain. “That’s a lot of presents.”  
  
“It is,” she said, looking at them before turning to him. “All the personnel who can afford it contribute.”  
  
“I can see that,” he said, going with her toward a table of refreshments. They had to dodge a dozen overly excited children who were pulling their parents around by the hand, chattering away a mile a minute.  
  
“You aren’t overwhelmed, are you?” she asked as she filled two cups with hot cocoa. Danny thought it was a little warm to be drinking it but it did seem to be the Christmas thing to do.  
  
“Me? No. I have a ten year old. She can make as much noise as those kids all by herself.”  
  
The lieutenant’s responding laugh was absolutely delightful.  
  
“Now that you’ve bought me a hot chocolate, you should at least tell me your name,” Danny said.  
  
“Lieutenant Pauline Baker,” she said, extending her right hand to grasp his. “It’s lovely to finally meet you.”  
  
“I take it you know Steve,” Danny said, a little wary at the idea.  
  
“I do,” she agreed. “I also know Catherine Rollins.”  
  
“Ahh…” Danny said, suddenly fascinated by the contents of his cup.  
  
“Why do you look so guilty?” Pauline asked gently. “She told me that she and Steve were done well before he admitted his interest in you.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess,” Danny said. “I hate to think I hurt her.”  
  
“You didn’t,” Pauline said. “And neither did Steve.”  
  
“That’s reassuring,” he said. He was distracted from their conversation by the flow of guests making their way to the fold-out chairs set up facing the other end of the gymatorium. “What’s happening down there?”  
  
“Come with me and you’ll see,” she said, putting her hand back in his elbow. She steered him toward the front, sitting with him in the third row. “It’s a tradition,” she said, nodding at the stage with a heavy red velvet curtain drawn across it.  
  
“What is?” Danny asked.  
  
She didn’t answer except for smiling at him and tuning to face the stage. She didn’t seem inclined to provide any further information so Danny had to be content to wait for whatever was about to occur on the low stage in front of them. He wondered where Steve was and if he was going to join them to watch whatever was about to occur.  
  
Every seat around them was taken and there were people standing behind the chairs by the time the music started. Danny recognized it instantly as the _Parade of the Wooden Soldiers._ He’d been to Radio City Music Hall enough times to know it within the first few notes.  
  
When the curtain slowly parted, the audience was greeted with the sight of 20 sailors lined up in four perfectly straight rows. They were all dressed in their identical dress mess uniforms and hats but that didn’t stop Danny from spotting Steve immediately. He was in the middle of the second row, his face as neutral as the rest of the sailors around him. As the music continued, the sailors began to move to it, marching on the exact beats, their steps synchronized enough to impress even the Rockettes. They saluted and moved and marched in perfect unison, an impressive display of both military discipline and personal commitment.  
  
Even though the “wooden soldiers” kept their requisite neutral expression firmly on their faces, Danny could sense that they were enjoying themselves. There was a spring in their steps which spoke of delight, their body language transmitting the joy the performance was giving to each one of them.  
  
Danny couldn’t keep from watching Steve more than any of the other sailors. He was a natural on the stage, a lightness to his marching that didn’t surprise Danny. He’d admired Steve’s athletic grace on more occasions than he was comfortable admitting even to himself. Danny tried to prevent his mind to considering how graceful Steve would be horizontally as well as vertically but his admiration of all things _Steve_ was working overtime.  
  
When the last note of music faded away, the applause was thunderous. The audience rose to their feet as one, clapping and whistling with shouts of _bravo_ and _encore_ resounding through the building. Danny would have liked to see a follow-up but not as much as he wanted to tell Steve personally how much he enjoyed the performance.  
  
The Admiral approached the edge of the stage, smiling at the audience’s reaction and waiting patiently as they slowly quieted down. “I’m pleased on behalf of all the wooden sailors that you enjoyed our show.” That brought new rounds of applause, the sailors bowing in unison to acknowledge it. “And as much as we would like to parade again for you, we have a party to attend.”  
  
With that, he turned to the sailors and nodded. They marched in unison off the stage, the audience remaining still in the spell that had been cast. It was only when the sailors emerged from the backstage area did the audience begin to disperse.  
  
Danny made his way to the front, anxious to see Steve and tell him how impressive the performance was. He was one of the last to arrive, the natural color still high on his cheeks, his smile huge when he spotted Danny.  
  
“Hey,” Steve said, gazing down at Danny who was staring up at him. “You enjoy it?”  
  
“Huh?” Danny said, shaking himself.  
  
“Hello. Earth to Danny,” Steve laughed, a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“How long do we have to stay?” Danny finally managed to ask.  
  
“Why?” Steve asked, looking instantly worried as he studied Danny. “Are you not feeling well?”  
  
“Just the opposite,” Danny whispered. “I want to get you home and naked.”  
  
Steve’s laugh was open at those words. “We’ll stay an hour then go.”  
  
“An hour,” Danny repeated, still staring up at him.  
  
“Yeah,” Steve confirmed.  
  
“When did you have time to learn that?” Danny asked.  
  
“It didn’t take very long,” Steve said. “We’re good at marching already. We just had to put it to music. Not as though we were doing the high kicks like the Rockettes.”  
  
“You were better than the Rockettes,” Danny told him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking back up at Steve. “Do we have to stay an entire hour?”  
  
“You’ll make it,” Steve said, guiding him with a hand on his shoulder toward one of the tables. The sailor manning the table gave Steve a bottle of water, expressing his appreciation for the performance. “Thank you,” Steve said, finishing half the water in one go.  
  
Danny took another deep breath before following Steve. They stopped by all the games, Steve playing some, cheering on the players at others. Danny wasn’t sure how many games they played or witnessed, his mind still wrapped in a haze from seeing Steve marching to the music in all his uniformed glory.  
  
“Can we go now?” Danny asked when he guessed they’d been wondering around for at least an hour.  
  
“Do you know you sound just like Grace when you say that?” Steve said, laughing openly at him.  
  
Danny shrugged, taking Steve’s hand and practically dragging him toward the door. “You’ve marched. We’ve mingled. We’re out of here.”  
  
“Aye aye sir,” Steve said, walking as closely to Danny as he could manage. “We’re going directly home?”  
  
“Damn straight we are,” Danny said, picking up speed once they were outside. “Get in the car.”  
  
“Unlock it and I will,” Steve said from the driver’s side, waiting as Danny pressed the remote. It took him three tries before he could get the locks to disengage. “Your coordination seems to be off,” Steve teased as he folded himself into the Camaro, his hat safely in the backseat.  
  
“Shut up and drive,” Danny said waving toward the windshield. “We have places to be. Uniforms to take off.”  
  
“You aren’t wearing a uniform,” Steve said, pulling out of the parking space.  
  
“Shut up,” Danny retorted, no heat in the words. He was staring over at Steve, licking his lips. He may have had to squirm in the seat to find a comfortable position but he didn’t really mind the extra tightness of his pants. He knew it would be relieved as soon as he got Steve out of his uniform.  
  
He was vaguely aware that Steve was driving way too fast as they left the base but this was one time when Danny had absolutely no intention of pointing it out to him. If he had his way, Steve would be turning on the lights, clearing the way for them to get home even sooner.  
  
“I’m not turning on the lights,” Steve laughed, glancing over at Danny.  
  
“I did not say that out loud,” Danny said, staring resolutely out the windshield.  
  
“You don’t have to. I can hear you thinking.”  
  
“Can you hear how much I want you naked?” Danny asked.  
  
“Uh huh,” Steve confirmed, swerving around a truck that was going too slowly. “We are not letting my uniform fall on the floor.”  
  
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Danny said, returning to devour Steve with his eyes. “It will be taken off with all the care and attention it deserves. We’ll just have to show that respect quickly.”  
  
“We can do that,” Steve agreed, pulling onto his street. He barely had the car stopped before Danny was removing his seatbelt to bolt out of the car.  
  
“Come on. Come on,” Danny urged, rushing to open the front door and punch in the alarm code.  
  
“I like this side of you,” Steve said, crowding Danny up against the door when they had closed, leaning down to kiss him. He took charge of Danny’s mouth, exploring it and savoring every second of it. When he finally lifted his head, Danny was gasping for air. But Steve was pretty sure it wasn’t from the kiss alone. “You said something about hurrying upstairs,” Steve said into Danny’s ear before sucking his lobe into his mouth.  
  
“Oh my God,” Danny breathed, his left hand pulling Steve’s head down for another searing kiss. His right hand was busy undoing the buttons he could reach. He wanted to get ahold of Steve’s erection that he could feel pressed against his stomach but there were too many layers between him and his goal.  
  
“Upstairs,” Steve whispered, taking Danny’s left hand and pulling him up the steps.  
  
When they finally made it to the bedroom, Steve carefully closed and locked the door. He didn’t expert anyone to stop by but with it being Christmas Eve, he thought it was better that they were safely locked in before getting naked.  
  
“Hurry,” Danny panted, helping Steve out of his jacket and putting it on the hanger. He reached for the top of Steve’s uniform pants, delighted to be able to finally open his belt, undo the button and lower the zipper. Steve balanced with a hand on Danny’s shoulder as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants. Danny was staring at Steve as Steve picked up the discarded pants and put them on their own hanger. “Shirt?” Danny asked, running his hand up and down the front of the crisp white shirt. There was some lingering moisture, not surprising after the dancing and game-playing. Even SEALs sweated under those conditions.  
  
“It can go on the floor,” Steve said, sliding Danny’s jacket down his arms before unbuttoning his shirt. “I’ve wanted to do this for way too long,” Steve said as he touched Danny’s chest, feeling the copious hair he’d admired from a distance and imagined having permission to touch. It was as delicious as he had thought it would be.  
  
Those thoughts were disrupted by Danny reaching up to pull one end of Steve’s bowtie. Steve tilted his chin up, allowing him better access. Danny tugged on the end, maintaining eye contact with Steve the entire time. The way Danny was slowly undoing the tie was incredibly sensual and seductive, making Steve need him even more, although he hadn’t thought it was possible. Steve’s cock was straining against the fabric of his shorts, yearning to be touched, with as much attention paid to it as Danny was paying to his irrelevant bowtie.  
  
“Danno,” Steve breathed, thrusting his hips to intentionally collide with Danny’s stomach.  
  
“Mmm…” Danny didn’t change his focus from loosening the tie, watching until it was completely undone. He popped open the top shirt buttons, licking the newly bared skin. Steve moaned at the sensation, reflective tightening his hold on Danny’s hip. He thought there would be a spray of bruises there the next day but he couldn’t find it in him to regret it.  
  
Steve decided the teasing had gone on long enough and attacked Danny’s trousers with intent. He got them open and thrust a hand down the front, making Danny gasp.  
  
“That’s cheating,” Danny breathed, looking down his front at where Steve’s hand disappeared.  
  
“You were taking too long,” Steve said, grasping his prize when he found Danny’s hard erection. He kissed Danny while encouraging him to remove his clothes.   
  
“That’s cheating too,” Danny said, shimming his pants down his legs. “Help me.”  
  
“My pleasure,” Steve said, squatting in front of him to remove his shoes and pull off his pants. He reached up for Danny’s briefs, taking them down as quickly as he could manage. Danny’s cock sprung free, tempting Steve by standing up directly in front of him. Steve swiped up the length of his tongue, Danny groaning in reaction.  
  
“More. More of that,” Danny pleaded. Steve laughed, standing and kissing Danny backward until he collided with the bed. He bounced when he landed, raising up on his elbows to better see Steve. “Get naked and get over here.”  
  
“Roger that,” Steve agreed, stripping out of his shirt so he was also gloriously naked – all tanned tattooed and hard muscles. It made Danny’s mouth water to see him, ready and eager for Danny.  
  
Steve slowly crawled onto the bed, staring at Danny with hunger in his eyes. Danny thought he was about to be devoured and he was looking forward to it. Danny lay flat on the bed, relishing the weight of Steve laying on top of him. He felt covered and secure and like he was finally home.  
  
Steve kissed him, hard and long, making Danny even more breathless than he already was. Steve’s hand was wrapped firmly around Danny’s erection, giving him a hint of what he wanted but not everything.  
  
“Steve….Steve,” Danny groaned. “I need….” He thrust his hips up, hoping Steve would get the message. He was rewarded with Steve tightening his grasp and stroking him. Danny spread his legs to allow Steve better access. Steve took advantage of it, stroking his erection as he reached between his thighs to roll his heavy balls. “Ohhh…”  
  
“Good huh?” Steve teased, kissing Danny before kissing lower down his body. He stopped when he was even with Danny’s erection, once more licking up the side and across the wet tip. Danny’s gasp was Steve’s reward, his restless hips urging him on.  
  
“Have you ever…with…before?” Danny gasped, knowing he wasn’t really making sense.  
  
“Have I ever made love to a man before?” Steve asked, pausing long enough to talk. Before Danny answered, he went back to licking his hard cock, enjoying the taste and the sounds it was wringing out of Danny.  
  
“Yeah. That,” Danny muttered.  
  
“Yes,” Steve said, taking Danny’s erection into his mouth. Danny moaned, his head lolling back and forth on the pillow. His reflective actions made his hair stand up, delighting Steve in his dishevelment. “Have you?” he asked when he’d eased off just enough.  
  
“Uhm…” Danny moaned, Steve taking him back into the warm, wet cavern of his mouth.  
  
Steve suspected Danny hadn’t been with a man before but he wasn’t concerned and could tell that Danny wasn’t either. Them being together came as naturally as everything they had done since nearly killing each other in his garage.  
  
He shoved those thoughts away as he concentrated on the feel of finally having Danny’s cock in his mouth. It was heaven - hot, salty, delicious heaven. Steve wanted it to last, to not bring Danny to completion too quickly. Danny was muttering which Steve thought might be a warning but Steve had no intentions of wasting the chance to know everything about Danny, including how he tasted. His enjoyment of caressing Danny with his lips, mouth, and tongue succeeded in pushing Danny over as he erupted with a groan from his soul.  
  
Steve raised his head to smile up at Danny, licking his lips as he waited for Danny to come back to him.  
  
“Smug,” Danny breathed, shaking his head. There was a sparkle in his eyes that confirmed that he didn’t mind.  
  
“Uh huh,” Steve agreed, kissing Danny’s fur covered stomach. The blond hair was soft and warm and glorious.  
  
“What’d you want?” Danny asked, his words slurring together.  
  
“To watch you try to recover,” Steve teased, kissing Danny’s thighs.  
  
“Smug bastard.”  
  
“Yep,” Steve agreed, licking his lips again. “Do you want me to put my uniform back on?”  
  
“I should make you,” Danny said, finally finding the strength to sit up. “Merry Christmas to us.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Steve responded, kissing Danny’s warm cheeks.  
  
“Yep. I just got everything I wanted. Everything I wanted for three and a half long years.”  
  
“Then my work here is done,” Steve said, kissing him lightly. “I’m going to brush my teeth and come back and kiss you more senseless.”  
  
“I may be asleep,” Danny warned, threading his fingers into Steve’s short hair. “This needs to grow out.”  
  
“If that’s what you want,” Steve agreed, gracefully leaving the bed for his bathroom. He could feel Danny’s eyes on him until he was standing in front of the sink.  
  
His erection was still firm when he returned to the bedroom, Danny sound asleep, his arms hugging Steve’s pillow. He had to smile to see Danny’s relaxed, peaceful face.  
  
Steve could wait for his own enjoyment. He’d satisfied Danny and he could wait until Danny was ready to return the favor. They had the rest of their lives because sometimes Christmas wishes did come true.


End file.
